In order to travel by air, cats must be carried or transported in airline approved cat carriers. Most airlines will allow you to take a cat into the cabin of the plane if the flight is under 6 hours in duration. Today, there are both soft-sided and hard-sided airline approved cat carriers. Soft-sided and hard-sided carriers are both made of waterproof materials and are easy to clean if an accident does occur during traveling. Either type should offer secure closure mechanisms to prevent an unwanted escape.

Prior to traveling by air with your cat, make sure that when placing your ticket reservation that you ask exactly which carriers are accepted by the airline you are using and whether your cat may fly under your seat or must be checked as cargo. Be sure to notify the airline that you will be traveling with your cat as many airlines have restrictions regarding the number of animals allowed on a flight (one pet per passenger and two pets per cabin). Also verify the dimensions of the airline approved cat carriers you are considering purchasing so you can make sure that it will fit under the seat in the airplane cabin. One airline has as 23 inch long, 13 inch wide and 9 inch high size requirement for use in the airplane cabin. Some size requirements are smaller. Generally, the weight limit for carriers in cabins is about 23 pounds; this includes the carrier, the cat and any cat essentials you are carrying in the carrier.

A soft-sided carrier is more flexible for being stored under an airplane seat. If choosing a soft-sided airline approved cat carriers, make sure that it has adequate mesh panels for ventilation, top and side entries to allow you to easily load and remove your cat, and reinforced handles. These carriers tend to offer less ventilation so you need to make sure that you cat does not overheat. Soft-sided carriers are lighter in weight than hard-sided plastic carriers and these carriers generally are able to be carried as a shoulder bag. A few soft-sided carriers are convertible between being a wheeled carrier to a backpack. A feature on many of these carriers is pockets for supplies.

Some hard-sided cat carriers are small enough to fit under an airplane seat and generally offer more ventilation than a soft-sided carrier. A hard-sided plastic carrier is sturdier than a soft-sided carrier if you are worried about the cat being hurt by being stepped on. These carriers would also be a better choice if the airline you are traveling on does not allow you to take your cat into the cabin. Hard-sided airline approved cat carriers are generally heavier to carry than soft-sided ones but many do come with wheels that are detachable so that you can wheel your cat easily about the airport to the airplane.

It's exceedingly important no matter how you travel with your pet that your pet is wearing a collar and an identification tag. The following identification should be prominent on the airline approved cat carriers – your name, phone number, destination and phone number when traveling. It’s important to ask your airlines documents the airline requires such as vaccination records or a health certificate. So when you're traveling with your cat in airline approved cat carriers, preparation is key to making the trip stress for everyone.